Complete PDF Notes

Match #11: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 4 p.m. CDT
Wright State (5-6-1, 0-1-1 Horizon)
at Valpo (7-2-1, 0-1 Horizon)
Match #12: Friday, Oct. 3, 4 p.m. CDT
Youngstown State (2-8, 0-2 Horizon)
at Valpo (7-2-1, 0-1 Horizon)

This Week in Crusader Soccer: Valpo returns home for a pair of matches this weekend to kick off a stretch where the Crusaders will play five of their next six contests at Eastgate Field.  Wednesday the Brown and Gold entertains Wright State before Youngstown State visits on Friday in a pair of key Horizon League tilts.

On the Air: WVUR (95.1-FM, Valparaiso) will broadcast both matches live this weekend.  The matches can also be heard live online at www.valpoathletics.com.  In addition, live stats will also be provided through www.valpoathletics.com.

Head Coach John Marovich: John Marovich is 7-2-1 in his first season overall and with Valpo after serving as an assistant for six years.  Just the third coach in program history, he will move into a tie for second on the Crusaders’ career wins list with his next victory.

Series Notes: Wright State holds a 5-0 all-time advantage against the Crusaders in a series dating back to 1993.  The Raiders won last year’s match 1-0 in overtime in the regular season finale on October 26.  Valpo is 0-2 against Wright State at Eastgate Field.  The Crusaders are 6-0 all-time against Youngstown State dating back to the 1999 season.  On October 19 of last season, Valpo posted a 1-0 victory in Youngstown.  The Brown and Gold is 3-0 against the Penguins at Eastgate Field.

Wrapping Up Last Week’s Action: Lauren Papierski and Carrie Twyman each scored in the first 21 minutes of the match last Friday as Butler defeated Valpo 2-0 in the Horizon League opener for both schools. Mele Cabral made three saves for the Crusaders in the road loss.

Scouting Wright State: The Raiders started the season 4-1 but are just 1-5-1 since, including a 0-0 tie to Cleveland State and a 2-1 loss at Loyola last weekend to open Horizon League play.  Jess Rooma leads Wright State with five goals and three assists for 13 points while Amber Kasmer has four goals.  Meghan Hackerson has played every minute in goal sporting a 1.27 goals against average and a .787 save percentage.

Scouting Youngstown State: The Penguins dropped back-to-back matches last weekend against Detroit and Butler to open Horizon League play after winning two straight the prior weekend.  Carrie Wack leads Youngstown State in scoring with three goals while Jodi Bowlen and Jordan Gapczynski have two goals and two assists each.  Mariah Snyder has posted a 1.51 goals against average and an .826 save percentage.

Home Sweet Home: Valpo is a perfect 4-0 at Eastgate Field this season, continuing its recent success at home.  Since 2004, the Crusaders have posted a 28-8-1 (.770) record defending their home turf.

A Balanced Attack: Valpo has scored nine goals in the first 10 matches of the season.  Only Jackie Kondratko, who has three goals, has more one than one tally on the year, and five different players have all five assists for the Crusaders as well.

Taking Charge in the Second Half: Valpo has been outscored 3-2 in the first half this season, but has proven to come alive in the second 45 minutes and overtime, outscoring opponents 7-2 during that span.

Cabral Moves Up Shutouts Chart: Mele Cabral now has eight career clean sheets, moving her past Amy Cavanaugh (1996-1999) for second all-time at Valpo.  Erin Murray (2004-2007) holds the school mark with 20 for a career.  Cabral’s six shutouts this season have also tied Murray’s 2004 and 2007 single season records.

Brown Second All-Time in Shots: Kendall Brown has moved into second all-time at Valpo with 185 career shot attempts.  Lori Moore holds the school record with 240 shots.

Among the Nation’s Best: As a team, Valparaiso ranks 17th in the country with a 0.483 goals against average and seventh in save percentage at .894.  The Crusaders are also 23rd in shutout percentage at .600 and their .750 winning percentage is 37th best in all of Division I.  Individually, Mele Cabral is 10th with the .891 save mark and 19th in goals against average with the 0.483 mark.

Trio Among Top Scorers All-Time: Kendall Brown has moved alone into third place all-time at Valpo with 19 career goals with her first goal this year.  Her 47 career points also rank third on the Crusader career list.  Lori Johnson is sixth in school history with 12 goals and seventh with 31 points while Sarah Jewell is tied for seventh with 11 goals and eighth with 27 points.

Valpo Picked Fifth in Preseason Poll: The Crusaders were selected to finish in a tie for fifth place in the Horizon League based on the preseason poll conducted of the league’s head coaches.  Milwaukee was picked to win the league.